


In the Blink of an Eye

by Penny4urthot



Category: Sons of Anarchy
Genre: F/M, SOA - Freeform, Tig Trager - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-01-13
Updated: 2019-01-13
Packaged: 2019-10-09 15:43:38
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,673
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17409671
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Penny4urthot/pseuds/Penny4urthot
Summary: Summary: For years, Tig believed that he would spend his life, and his money, finding love with a different woman every night - until he met Erin. She quickly stole his heart and he had never been happier, but all good things have to come to an end eventually, sometimes it's just sooner than you expect.





	In the Blink of an Eye

It had been a perfectly normal morning for one of Charmings many outlaws, Tig Trager. He let out a low groan as the bright sun trickled its way into his bedroom between the cracks of the black curtains that hung over his window. He went a little too hard at the party last night, finishing half a bottle of jack and a six pack before retiring to his room with his old lady.  
The familiar smell of coconut filled his nose as he opened his eyes and smiled seeing her brown hair sprawled out across his chest. He loved the way she slept with an arm lazily across his chest and her head right over his heart. 

“Erin, are you awake?” he whispered lightly as he nuzzled his head into her long curly locks. He couldn't help but chuckle when he heard a small tired groan leave her lips. 

“Rough night last night doll?” he asked with a laugh. Of course, he already knew that answer. He was completely and totally in love with this woman who was able to keep up with him and his clubs drinking habits. She easily downed shot after shot with him half the night. Then, once they retreated to his dorm, they stayed up another couple hours showing each other just how much they loved one another. 

“Yeah, maybe a little too rough,” she replied as she looked up at him giving him a wink that drove him completely crazy. Erin sat up and wiped her tired eyes before looking back over at Tig who was staring at her.

“What?” she asked as she raised her arms over her head stretching the kink out of her back. 

“Your gorgeous, I'm not allowed to stare at my old lady?” 

“Not with that look you aren't, I'm sore from last night,” she chuckled as she got off the bed and started to strip her pajama shorts and panties off.

“But maybe I'll let you join me in the shower.” She winked once more at him and then laughed when she saw how quickly he shot out of bed and rushed into the bathroom behind her.   
She reached into the shower before turning it on, making sure it was turned all the way hot, the way she liked it. As she waited for the water to heat up enough she grabbed her and handed Tig his. She was desperate to get the taste of stale alcohol out of her mouth and she was sure he was too. 

Once she was satisfied with the minty taste in her mouth, she returned her toothbrush to its rightful place in the holder next to the sink. She turned around and slipped into the shower, letting the hot water run down the length of her body.

“Jesus Christ, how do you shower with the water so damn hot!” he yelled as he followed her into the shower.   
“It’s not that hot Tiggy,” she giggled as she washed her hair. 

“It feels like the water is being pumped straight out of hell,” he exclaimed as he reached for the handle to turn the water down a bit. 

“Such a drama queen Tig,” she laughed as she reached for the bottle of conditioner, getting ready to put it in her hair. He grabbed the bottle gently out of her hands and poured some into his hand.   
He massaged the conditioner into her hair. Knowing that she lets it sit in her hair for a few moments, he pulled her tight against him, her back touching his chest as he wrapped his arms around her.   
“I love you so much Erin,” he whispered in her ear. It was true, Tig had never loved anyone the way he loved this woman. She honestly wasn't his type; she didn't have blonde hair or seemingly too large breasts in proportion to the rest of her body. She was also very shy and quiet, but once he got a taste of the attitude that she hid behind the shyness, he was hooked. 

“I love you too, Tiggy,” she replied as she turned her neck to place a kiss on his cheek. They stood there for a few minutes just embracing each other and, eventually, washing each other.

Tig lived for mornings like this. After being deployed overseas in the Marines for a few years, he needed this; someone to come home to and to keep him grounded when his mind would easily drift off to the things he had seen in combat. 

Tig had been home for two years now and Joined SAMCRO immediately after coming back to the US, finding it hard to fit in with anyone. He found a home with the club, most of them were veterans as well, so they all knew the struggles he was having. 

Tig met Erin six months into being a prospect; he was called to tow her car to the shop because it wouldn't start. From the moment he laid eyes on the helpless girl, with big green eyes at the only gas station in Charming clad in jean shorts, a red tank top and a pair of run-down converse, he knew he was in trouble. 

Tig was planning on proposing to Erin. He had the ring picked out already and hidden away in his sock drawer. Today was the day he would ask her to be his wife and he couldn't wait for that moment to come. He had planned a whole day together, getting breakfast at their favorite diner, going to the lake to relax and swim, which was Erin’s favorite past time. Finally, he would take her to the same place her car broke down, where he met her, and get down on one knee, right there at the gas station, in the middle of town. 

He did not care if the gas station was romantic or not; it was the place where he met the love of his life and it was the place where he was going to ask her to marry him.   
A half-hour after they got out of the shower, they were ready to leave. Tig had a backpack that he stuffed Erin’s bikini and his swim trunks with a couple of towels along with the ring that he hid down in the bottom of the bag. She had no idea the plans he had for them today and he intended to keep it that way. 

“Where are we going?” Erin asked as she walked out of the clubhouse, putting her sunglasses on quickly to shield her hungover eyes from the bright charming sun. She instinctively grabbed Tigs hand as he walked with her to his bike. 

“You’ll see,” Tig smiled as he looked over at Erin. He loved the way her jeans hugged her curves perfectly and the way her long brown hair was draped over her shoulders and down her back like a perfect waterfall. He could not help but think he was the luckiest man in the world. 

Tig handed the backpack to Erin to wear so it wouldn't be in the way when she held onto him. After they both had their helmets on they climbed on his bike and took off down the small roads of Charming. 

Arriving at the diner, Tig backed his bike up to the curb and threw the kickstand up. He grabbed Erin’s hand as they walked into the diner and sat at their favorite table, the one by the window.   
“Coffee?” the over-energetic waitress asked, her blonde hair pulled back in a tight bun.

“Yes, please,” Tig and Erin said at the same time. Erin couldn't help but notice the way the waitress was looking Tig up and down with a smirk, not even acknowledging her existence.   
Tig noticed her roll her eyes as the waitress walked away.

“Why are you rolling your eyes?” 

“She was totally checking you out, acting like I wasn't even here,” Erin joked causing Tig to laugh. 

“Well that bitch ain't got shit on you, doll,” he assured her, grabbing her hands and holding them across the table. He loved the way Erin still blushed when he complimented her even though they had been together for a year and a half. 

“So your not going to tell me what we are doing today?” she asked, trying to pry the info out of Tig. She knew he was bad at keeping secrets from her.  
“Nope, my lips are sealed,” he over-dramatically replied with a grin.

“Yeah but maybe mine aren't,” She winked. Erin loved teasing him in public, she knew the effect she had on him.

“What's that supposed to mean?” he asked with a shit eating grin on his face. He knew exactly what she meant but wanted to hear her say it.

Before Erin could reply, the waitress came back and set their cups of coffee in front of them and pulled the notepad out of her apron, ready to take their orders. They quickly ordered their food and both laughed when the waitress walked away. This time, Tig noticed the looks he was receiving from her and made sure hold Erin’s hands and caress her arms a bit dramatically.

“Remember the first time we came here?” Tig asked with a grin.

“How could I ever forget? I thought you were insane going to the bathroom then texting me to join you in there. In a place full of people!” She laughed, remembering it like it was yesterday.

“There weren't that many people here doll, it was two AM, just a couple of truckers,” a chuckle escaped his lips as he reminisced about that night. 

“I had only known you a few weeks, most girls would have run out the door and ditched you.”

“Well you aren't like most girls, that's why I love you. You’re so different compared to all the girls I’ve met.”

“Yeah because you're so used to blonde bimbos throwing themselves at you for riding a motorcycle,” Erin laughed. She knew it was true. A few of the crow eaters took a while to adjust to the fact that Tig was off the market when they first started dating. She had seen the multiple attempts they made to try to get with him, but he always pushed them away. 

“Hey now,” he put his hands up in defense, “those girls were only after me because of my bike?” He questioned, jokingly.

“No Tiggy, I'm sure there was more they were after,” Erin elaborated. 

Their food arrived quickly and they made small take as they scarfed down their food. The two of them were always hungry for greasy breakfast food the morning after drinking so much. After paying for their food, they walked out of the diner, hand in hand. They climbed on the Bike and took off towards their next destination, the lake. They had to take the highway that left Charming to get there as it was in the next town over. 

Tig felt Erin put her head on his shoulder to get a better look of the road ahead of them. He looked over at her for just a second, taking in the beauty of her face. 

It was when he turned his head back to look at the road that he noticed a deer darting straight in front of the bike. Tig swerved, sending his bike down in the middle of the road. It was a split second, he felt Erin’s grip being pulled away by the force of the bike hitting the road. Tig could feel blood begin to run down his arm from a bad cut. 

He didn't have time to process what happened when he heard a loud scream come from the other side of the road. Tigs head shot up faster than ever as he pulled the bike off of his leg. The pain he was feeling was nothing compared to the worry he felt about her.

“Erin!” he screamed as he jumped up and hobbled as fast as he could to the other side of the road. Her leg had been run over by a car and he could see the blood spilling from her wounds. Her arms were scraped up and there was a giant gash on her forehead. 

“No, God no, Erin, I'm right here,” he screamed, the tears falling down his face and onto her chest. 

“Call 911,” he yelled at the lady who was getting out of the car. 

Tig quickly undid his belt from his jeans and applied it on her thigh in an attempt to stop the bleeding from the injury she sustained below. He then put his hands over the gash on her head and applied pressure, his eyes scanning over the rest of her to make sure there were no more wounds.

As he scanned back up her body he couldn't tell if she was breathing or not. Taking his hands off her head wound momentarily, he placed his, now bloody, hand on her neck checking for a pulse. His heart shattered when he couldn't feel the thump of her heartbeat. His instincts took over as he started CPR on her, counting to ten then giving her two breaths. Something he learned back when he was in the Marines.

“Please baby, d-don't leave me,” he sobbed as he continued compressing her chest. 

“I love you, baby,” it was becoming harder for him to breath but he wanted her to hear him. “I need you, I was going to ask you to m-marry me tonight,” he said, his voice faltering with the tightness he felt in his chest. His arms grew tired within minutes of starting CPR, his muscles screaming for more oxygen as it became progressively harder to breathe. 

He jumped when he felt an arm around him, looking up it was a paramedic. He was so concentrated on bringing Erin back that he didn't even hear the blaring sirens or see the flashing lights from the ambulance. 

“Sir, we’ve got this. Please step back,” the paramedic said as his partner kneeled down on the other side of her lifeless body. Tig could hardly hear the words that the man spoke, it wasn't until the paramedic physically took Tigs arms off Erin that he truly noticed their presence. 

He sat back on the pavement and watched as the paramedics continued CPR and put a backboard under her to lift her onto the ambulance.

“There’s another rig on the way here to pick you up sir,” the paramedic's words burned like fire in Tigs mind. He stood up and hobbled over to the ambulance.

“I'm not leaving her side,” he said as he climbed on and took a seat on the bench next to Erin. He held her hand as one of the medics continued to work on her while the other one sped off to the hospital. 

It only took a few minutes to arrive at their destination but, to Tig, it felt like days. He could see the color draining out of Erin's face from the blood loss. He knew the possibility of her coming back was slim, but he would not give up hope. By the time Tig hobbled out of the ambulance and into the room where the doctors continued to work on Erin, he saw the whole club standing in the hall. Unser had called them as soon as he arrived on the scene and saw who the victims of the accident were. 

Tig stood there in shock as the doctors and nurses kept up the CPR and pushing medications into the IV that the paramedics inserted in the field. He never really believed in God but he was silently praying as he watched the events unfold in front of his eyes. Pleading with whatever god may exist to not take her away. 

He was shaking so intensely, he could hardly stand. He knew he was covered in blood; some of Erin’s and some of his own. He also knew his leg was probably broken. None of that mattered now. He pushed away multiple nurses who tried to help him, his focus on the beautiful brunette who lay still on the table. 

He thought about all the plans he had for the two of them. He thought about all the time they had spent together and the amount of love and trust they had. Then, the memory of what happened ran through his head like a movie playing right in front of his eyes. Maybe if his vision never left the road, this wouldn't have happened. Tig’s thoughts were abruptly interrupted by the words of the doctor who was in charge of running the code. 

“Time of death, 11:32 am.” The words no one ever wants to hear, the ones that cut through your heart like a knife cuts through butter. 

“No, No keep going! You have to save her!” Tig screamed, hardly able to keep standing as he felt a stabbing feeling in his chest.

“Mr. Trager we have done CPR for over thirty minutes, with the amount of blood loss and the trauma of hitting her head, there is nothing more we can do. I am so sorry for your loss,” the doctor replied as if it was a rehearsed statement; something they say to all the families of the lost loved ones. 

“Sorry doesn't mean shit,” Tig said as he ran up to Erin and tried to continue the CPR on her.

“Mr. Trager, she was more than likely killed directly on impact, she didn't feel any pain,” the doctor said as Tig felt arms pulling him away from his attempt to revive Erin again. He turned around to see his best friend, Clay, standing there.

“She’s gone man,” he said, looking Tig directly in the eyes. The tears that spilled out of his bright blue orbs burned as they ran through the cuts down his face. He knew she was gone. He didn't want to accept it though. The doctors and nurses all left the room like they were leaving the stage at the end of the shittiest play Tig had ever seen. 

“I need some time alone with her,” Tig choked out. Clay hugged him and then walked out, shutting the door behind him. 

Tig pulled up a chair next to the bed where she laid lifeless in front of him. The chair next to him held the backpack that Erin had on earlier that he pried off of her back before initiating CPR. He opened the bag and reached down to the bottom, surprised to feel the box that held the ring undamaged from the accident.   
He pulled the ring out and slid it on to her finger. 

“I love you so much Erin, I wanted to spend the rest of my life with you,” Tig could hardly get the words out over the tears, but this was something he had to do.

“I’m so happy we met. I've l-loved every minute we spent together, and I'm sorry this all happened. we should have taken a different road or your car. It should be me lying there,” he sobbed, the feeling of loss hitting every cell in his body. He looked at her face, covered in dried blood and cuts. The once rosy cheeks that he loved were now pale white and cold. He held her hand and sobbed over her chest. 

He didn't know how long he laid over her but he was interrupted by the soft knock on the door from a nurse who had come to check on him. He knew it was time to let her go, the pain he felt from the accident starting to make its way up his body as his adrenaline slowly faded. He placed a soft kiss on her lips and followed the nurse out of the room. 

Tig wasn't sure if this was reality or just a fucked up nightmare. He prayed that he would be waking up with Erin still in his arms. With every passing minute, he knew the possibility of this being a dream was less and less. After the nurses and doctors patched him up and cast his broken leg, he was discharged from the hospital. 

He immediately retreated into his dorm room, ignoring everyone in the clubhouse. He sat on his bed and when he smelled that coconut shampoo on his pillow he lost it again. It only took a single tear to break the dam that held back all his emotions. He ran to the bathroom and hugged the toilet, vomiting. 

How could he go on without the light of his life? The one who made it all okay, even when it wasn't. He grabbed a paper towel and wiped his mouth, then discarded it in the garbage bin, a pink box grabbing his attention as it lay in the bin.

It was a box that previously housed three pregnancy tests. He immediately took the bin and dumped the continents on the floor. He saw three white sticks fall out. He picked them all up and held them in his hand. The two pink lines he saw on each test hit him like two bullets to the chest. 

She was pregnant. The thought of having a baby with Erin put a small smile on his face until reality came crashing back to him when he saw the scrapes and bruises on his hand from the accident. She was gone. They were gone. Tig threw the tests against the wall and pulled his hands to his face. His eyes hurt from crying but he couldn't help the tears that fell. 

One minute he had everything he needed in life and, in the blink of an eye, it was all taken away from him like a cruel game that he didn’t want to play anymore. He didn't know how to live life without her and he knew he would never forget her beautiful face no matter how hard he tried to push it away.


End file.
